Brewers shut down Rogers for season

It’s official: Brewers right-hander Mark Rogers has made the final start of a successful bounce-back season.

Club officials informed Rogers on Saturday afternoon they were shutting him down, a preemptive move meant to protect Rogers’ surgically-repaired right arm from injury after he pushed into uncharted innings this season.

In 25 starts between Triple-A Nashville and the Brewers, including Friday’s win over the Pirates, Rogers was 9-7 with a 4.49 ERA. He worked only 44 1/3 innings in a 2011 season cut short by a wrist injury and a suspension that stemmed from a tainted supplement.

“I kind of expected it, but at the same time, I still want to be pitching,” Rogers said. “I think if I didn’t want to keep pitching, that would be a problem. I still feel very good, I’m competitive, and things are going well right now. Obviously you want to take the ball every five days, especially because I don’t feel like we’re out of it right now. We’re right there.

“Then again, there’s a lot of people smarter than me making that decision. I’ve been down the injury road before. That is the very last thing I want to happen, so it’s nice to go into the offseason being able to say I am 100 percent healthy.”

He allowed one Pirates run in 5 1/3 innings on Friday night to win his third consecutive start. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke was reluctant to make Rogers’ shut-down official after the game because the organization’s decision had not yet been communicated to the player himself.

Rogers, 26, will remain active with the Brewers throughout September, but barring an emergency pinch-hit appearance, he is very unlikely to play.

The Brewers will probably promote right-hander Wily Peralta following Nashville’s season-finale on Monday to replace Rogers. Peralta also pitched Friday, and could easily slide into Rogers’ spot beginning Wednesday in Miami.

Peralta made his Major League debut in relief on April 22, but would make his first big league start.

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